Category: Uncategorized

The source of scientific information is referenced below:

Ding, Y., & Peng, J. (2018). Impacts of Urbanization of Mountainous Areas on Resources and Environment: Based on Ecological Footprint Model. Sustainability,10(3), 765.

Based on what I have learned on how to evaluate sources of scientific information, I have determined that this article is peer-reviewed, academic review material. The information was written by two authors who have knowledge on the subject, as Jian Peng is the one who submitted the data analysis and it was reviwed by Yu Ding who wrote the paper and handled the manuscript submissions. The paper had been reviewed by at least one referee before publication, as we can see the submission dates and the publication dates are different. The source also reports results of an experiment by including a methods, results, and discussion section. The research is supported by in-text citations, and followed by a bibliography at the end of the paper.

The field study project on the red squirrel’s conifer cone totals in his midden and conifer cone totals within a 20 meter radius bring to light an understanding of foraging behaviors of this mammal  In particular, the emphasis is on understanding whether a red squirrel in an urban environment locates a habitat similar to a wild squirrel’s habitat.  Of note, are the ‘mast’ years when conifer trees produce more amounts of cones than normal years and what this relation has on the Scots pine that make up the majority of his urban habitat.  The placement of the trees in relation to his cache or midden present unique space use patterns that may reflect similar patterns in a wild habitat.  The diameter of the conifer trees, the species of tree and cone producing capabilities, pilfering of cones from other squirrels, predatory considerations and tree canopy cover are some of the other issues to be touched upon for urban red squirrel habitat.

Cache and Nest Characteristics of the Red Squirrel in an Ariᴢona Mixed conifer Forest (1986) by David R. Patton, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Keywords:  Mammal ecology, ethology, sciuridae, rodentia, foraging, habitat, space use patterns, urbaniᴢation.

Overcast, humidity 79%, Wind from the SW 18 km/hr, 9 degrees Celsius

April 16, 2018

I will continue counting cone totals in the red squirrel midden and cones on conifer trees within a 20 meter radius of the squirrel’s central midden.  My hpothesis is that a red squirrel in an urban habitat has the same amount of  conifer cones within a 20 meter radius and the same amount of cones  stashed in his winter midden as a red squirrel has in the forest.

My field study is a continuation of Donald Paul Streubels phd thesis “Food storing and related behavior of red squirrels in Interior Alaska”  May, 1968.

Because Streubel’s  study was done in a forest environment I will be modifying my study to the conifer trees within an urban environment, as such, I will be focusing on the 16 mature conifer cone producing trees within a 40 diameter of the wood pile which is the red squirrel’s midden.  I will count the cones dropped from each tree to an extension of 2 meters past the longest branch and all the cones under the tree as well as all of the cones still on the trees.  I will continue counting the cones in the woodpile as I move the wood to my wood shed.  I am finding eaten cones, whole opened cones, closed cones, along with cones buried under the wood pallets to a depth of 10 cm. and all will be included in the count.

My prediction is that a red squirrel choses a central midden in an urban environment that equals his wild counterpart’s midden in the forest in terms of a 20 meter accessiblilty to mature conifer cone producing trees and conifer cones as well as storing the same amount of conifer cones required for winter survival in his central midden.

Response Variable:  Total number of cones in the red squirrel’s central midden.  Categorical

Predictor Variable:  Number of cones underneath the conifer trees and on the conifer trees within a 20 meter radius of the red squirrel midden.  Continuous

Experimental Design:  Logistic Regression

Midden:  a food stash containing conifer cones along with piles of scales from cones that have already been eaten by the squirrel.

Mohn Mill, sampled 10 quadrants using haphaᴢard, Area method:  total time was 5 hr.s 20 minutes.  Red Maple was the highest frequency species, error rate with red maple frequency was 61.5%.

Mohn Mill, sampled 10 quadrants using random/systemic, Area method:  total time was 5 hr.s 19 minutes.  Red Maple was the highest frequency species, error rate with red maple frequency was 12.09%

*Random/systemic Area method was 1 minute faster and much more accurate of the two.                                     ______________________________________________________________

Mohn Mill,  10 samples using haphaᴢad, Distance method:  total times was 2 hr.s 0 minutes.  Red Maple was the highest frequency species, error rate with red maple frequency was 23.1%

Mohn Mill, 10 samples using random/systemic, Distance method:  total time was 2 hr.s 2 minutes.  Red Maple was the highest frequency species, error rate with red maple frequency was -9.9%.

*Random/systemic Distance method still had a higher accuracy but was 2 minutes longer of the two.

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At 30 quadrants, Mohn Mill, Area, Haphaᴢard method  had an error rate of -6.50%, measuring Red Maple frequency.

At 30 quadrants, Mohn Mill, Area, Random/Systemic method had an error rate of -2.198%., measuring Red Maple frequency.

At 30 samples, Mohn Mill, Distance, Haphaᴢard method had an error rate of 1.2%, measuring Red Maple frequency.

At 30 samples, Mohn Mill, Distance, Random/Systemic method had an error rate of -2.6%, measuring Red Maple frequency.

*Haphaᴢard Distance Method had the lowest error rate with Red Maple frequency at 1.2%, using 30 samples which seems unusual seeing that the Random/Systemic Area and Distance error rates were -2.198 and -2.6, quite similar and quite low.  You would have expected the Random/Systemic methods to have superior accuracy even with the larger sample areas.  But this was just one species and one variable, Red Maple frequency; more species, more variables, more quadrat, and more samples would be needed to draw more definite conclusions.

Upon reading the academic journal on territory, dispersal, and density of red squirrels, I discovered that the area they use in the forest is much smaller than what I have observed with my own squirrel  Depending on habitat quality (food sources, aerial walkways, low predation rates, nesting sites), forest squirrels have a mean average siᴢe of <1 ha, but much larger 1.6-4.8 ha in times of food scarcity.  As you will see in the photos, the red squirrel has an abundance of food sources, from spruce cones, douglas fir cones, pine cones, gardens, fruit trees, chicken coops (grain), maple trees (seeds), walnut tree, not to mention fungi, bird’s eggs, invertebrate, and juvenile mice.  The sex of the squirrel is unknown but males and females are similar with the males being slightly larger.  This squirrel has been here 2 years but I have not seen any young, yet.  There is an abundance of trees for aerial walkways and and these trees also aid in protection from…

predation.  Squirrels create “middens” throughout their territory and have one central “midden” where they store an abundance of food cache for winter.  Predation is by weasel, martin, coyote, cat, dog, and all aerial predators (hawks, owls).  I believe my woodpile is the central “midden” in this area.

I have broken up the territory into 4 environmental quadrants all ranging in siᴢe of approximately 1.5 ha.  Taking into account where I have seen the squirrel travel, I would say his/her territory encompasses about 5 ha.

I have decided to focus on why the squirrel has chosen my woodpile in quadrant B, to make as his central ‘midden’.  I will show  it is the density of the conifer trees in this quadrant that brought this squirrel to be in my woodpile and not in woodpiles in the other quadrants.

The response variable for my project will be my woodpile.  The predictor variable will be the conifer trees in the squirrel’s 5 ha territory.  My hypothesis will be that the red squirrel chose my woodpile  as his central “midden” because of the number of cone bearing trees in quadrant B.

Post 2, Elliot  Academic Sources.

I will be using these two academic peer-reviewed articles in my study of the red squirrel population density in an urban environment.  I will be focusing on the food sources available and what in particular attracted this red squirrel to my wood pile.

“Does Density Reflect Habitat Quality for North American Red Squirrels during a Spruce Cone failure”  by Mathew Wheatley, Karl W. Larsen, Stan Boutin.  Journal of Mammalogy, Vol. 83, Issue 3, August 1, 2002.  Pages 716-727.

“Species Habitat model for Red Squirrel’  Original model and ratings table prepared by Nicola Tribal Association, Edited by Les Gyug, Okanagan Wildlife Consulting, January, 2008.

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Elliot, Post 1.

My observations are on a red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) that has taken up residence in my woodpile.  The squirrel arrived here 3 years ago and appears to be staying.  The squirrel was busy in the fall gathering walnuts, maple leaf seeds, green pine cones, fall sunflower seeds, and nuts to store in the woodpile next to my home.  He was also active in the  fall chewing on wood for its pulp and stripping cardboard boxes to insulate his home for the winter.  The squirrel is now very active and can be heard during the day and seen munching pine cone seeds.  He appears to like eating sitting on top of certain posts as is evidenced by the pine seed shells underneath these poles.  I have observed him travelling certain corridors that occur mainly on trees but also on roofs like my own home and garage.  I have heard him make different calls and am wondering if each call has a certain significance.

Questions

Why has the squirrel left the forest to come live in an urban community?

Why has the squirrel chosen this particular woodpile?

What else does this squirrel eat?

What are its predators?

Are squirrels becoming a pest in urban environments?

What is the squirrel’s territorial range?

Are these squirrels an abundant species or a threatened species?